Many people do not know where to begin when preparing a vegetable garden. Locating the perfect spot and properly preparing the location for planting is not something to take lightly. Those who have not done this may prematurely give up after a lackluster performance by an otherwise hopeful plot. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
- 1
Select a spot with at least 6 hours of natural sunlight. The southern end of your land is usually the most optimal place to start your garden, but shadows from existing structures and trees may require you to adjust to the east or west. Determine the amount of direct sunlight your spot gets by checking throughout the day.
2Remove plants that are too close to your garden and will compete for the necessary nutrients.
3Measure the dimensions of the garden and mark the outline on the ground. Keep it to a realistic size; you can always expand it later. Use a shovel or spade to cut along the border.
4Remove and set aside the first few inches of topsoil if it's good quality. Remove the next five to six inches of dirt and replace with a high quality top soil. You will then want to put the topsoil you set aside back into this mix, even if this was an area covered in grass (the grass will make good food for your plants).
5Use a hand tiller or a motorized tiller to work through the soil until it is very soft and not composed of large, solid chunks of earth.
6Mix in pre-cooked and non-burning manure for best results. Most garden centers will have plenty of cow manure on hand, or may even have the recently popular chicken manure.
7Add some Sphagnum peat moss and if necessary because of heavy clay, some sand to the mix to enhance drainage. Till these materials until thoroughly mixed and the soil has a very dark and rich color with no sprigs of grass poking through.
